2007-10-06 Footpatrol x adidas Campus

眾所矚目的Footpatrol x adidas Campus終於在今天開賣囉...一眾鞋迷果然一早又將FP門外擠的水洩不通,除了至IN的選色,至潮的Vintage中底,以及比例恰當的獸紋搭配外,顛覆70年代末鞋盒明星側標貼紙的處理更是一絕呀~~~ 是時候聯絡一下你遠在倫敦的友人囉~~~

Another vintage resurrection from adidas, the Campus seems to be the one that unites 'em all, from bboys, skaters and connoisseurs to the man in the pub. From those coveting them in the mid 80's, relishing bold colour bragging rights, to a Beastie-aided boom in the early 90's, leading to a relentless supply of decent (albeit restrained) variations on the shelves of any sports chain-stores by the middle of the decade at a good price. We can't help but think we might've taken their readily available status for granted, leaving them on the shelves in the misguided belief that a staple shoe, in a good shape that had transcended cult bboy status to become a high street favourite too might stick around. It didn't. Being mugged for 40gbp in September 1995 en route to nab a second pair of black and whites didn't help either.

Just ask a diehard fan like CT Crew alumni C-Law, who insists that they're "The ultimate simplicity in a shoe, straight up understated class", or longtime shoe obsessive and Crooked member Mac, a man who's followed the shoe throughout its many incarnations, colourways and availability, "I didn't see any until the early-mid '80s. These were mainly in photos of bboys and NBA players. Basically, as with all people into trainers, at first i wanted shell toes, then once I managed to get some of those in the mid 80s, I went onto the next thing, which was this shoe which looked like an all suede Superstar or Century Lo. This is about '85/6.

I found out that they were called Campus from the local American lads whose parents worked at the local airbase. I copped my first green campus in Camden in about '89 - green suede, blue box, $19.99 on the side of it. I paid 50 quid from, I think, Utopia. I was f*ckin' made-up. String green laces, really thin suede tongue, low cut, low sole, pretty square - the best pair I ever got...i think they were 'made In France'. I went to a 'The Face' mag party rocking them and some stylists went crazy for them - taking pics of them - now there was a first. I really looked after them as they were really rare back then, rarer than the superstars Duffer were selling for 60/70 quid.

Passenger occasionally got some. Later in '92/3, Acupuncture in Soho - I copped burg/wht, blk/wht, navy/wht. My mate got the sky blue which eluded for me another 6 months. They were 50 again, and the bollocks. Too be honest, I remember other later models dropping in the '00s and being unhappy at the cut of them -chunky, bulbous, high cut."
Suede sneaker aficionado Ollie Teeba also approached the Campus from a hip-hop standpoint, "For me as a young bboy and graf writer in the early and mid '80s all I wanted in the whole world was a pair of PUMA Clydes or adidas Campus sneakers. You couldn't get any of this stuff in the UK, not even Superstars. But my desire to get these was way more than I wanted shells. I was so into suede sneakers. Even today I see them as the ultimate expression of style. White leather sneakers are all well and good, but way back when, you could mix and match your outfits with suede so much better.

I remember having some pictures that I collected from magazines and books about breaking and I would always marvel at these sneakers the dudes were wearing. I had a photo of this guy with a pair of grey suede Campus with white fat laces, and I swear they were the dopest sh*t I'd ever seen. 'Made in France' originals are notoriously difficult to find - I only own a few pairs myself and I don't dare wear them. I hope to see the same dedication (with the Campus) to the relaunch of the Clyde in terms of fly colourways."

Post millennium, midsole modifications, a more substantial height and a less graceful bulkiness, bordering on cartoonish led to diminishing appeal - while it remained a solid choice, we could live without the quadruple wide ST versions, vulcanized soles inferior sequels, hemp, white leather, cord, or god forbid...the NBA collection. After last year's relentless avalanche of good quality Superstars, a respectful Campus return was an inevitability.

While we're bracing ourselves for the imminent widespread return (looking particularly tasty) of the shoe in a more lovable form, adi have worked with Foot Patrol to set things off nicely with this trio of special vintage makeups, with a hefty dose of '80s DNA.

Low profile, with a reassuring, less 'artificial' stab at the Campus shape, some refreshingly scrawny laces, and a toe box that reminds us why we loved this in the first place is a good start. A slightly padded, unmarked tongue maintains the clean look, and in a typically Gimme 5 twist, the fittingly coloured snakeskin stripes on the inside are an unobtrusive touch that doesn't intrude on the elements that made it an icon.

Right, here's where it gets a little complicated - the almost pink embossed Trefoil detailing on the heel was jettisoned at sample stage for a more agreeable white-on-white, and the lighter grey you might've climatised yourself with from magazine scans has been replaced with a darker suede. The burgundy and mustard yellow are absolute killers that we've had our eyes on since we saw some murky camera shots a few months back.
While the now ubiquitous synthesised vintage midsole can't contend with the cleanliness of a pristine white one, especially when it contrasts with bright white leather stripes, the extra additions to the package like the respectful FP/adi insole branding and complimentary headbands to get your coordinated Fernando Gonz嫮ez/Tame One/John Rambo look on, make for a hefty, herringboned step in the right direction when these drop in limited numbers at the Soho store...

(Props to C-Law, Oliie and Mac for the memories!)

Once upon a time we used to cover shoe releases and their inevitable queues on the regular. But things done changed. Whether it was an influx and overindulgence of weak creations, greater numbers or just an increasing apathy towards making unnecessary effort, just to see 'em still on sale a week later, the scale of the queue phenomenon seemed to dramatically subside. After featuring the Footpatrol Campus on the site last month, we noticed their appeal seemed to unite a number of sneaker-loving factions keen on seizing a pair, and there might just be a group laying in wait when the doors opened.
Despite a 3pm opening time, a missing member of the mooted FP cheerleading squad was delayed, and the ensuing 'Check Your Head' homaging photo opportunities, a lone maniac, keen to take on store manager Wes with his "pinky" seemed to be the sole harbinger of animosity, and champagne was distributed to the patient hordes of potential buyers before they filed in to grab a pair. Nice to see the store giving a release that's actually wearable and warranting excessive attention given the 'event' treatment it definitely deserves. Welcome back Campus, early 80's style. You've been missed.

相關連結:   Crooked Tongues

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